Accidental Fiancé (Unintentionally Yours #5)

38. Julian

There was something about the way Maggie laughed that made everything feel lighter, like my responsibilities weren’t as heavy, the day not as long, and the world a little more manageable. I heard that laugh ringing through the open meadow as Piper chased after a butterfly, her little arms waving wildly in the air.

“Careful, Pip,” Maggie called out, shielding her eyes from the sun as my daughter zigzagged through the tall grass and wildflowers. California winters weren’t much of a burden just north of Malibu, and we were determined to enjoy it. Happiness had etched a permanent shape on her face over the past few weeks. Warmth and contentment had settled there since the chaos and excitement had died down. Her smile lines had intensified as though permanent now.

I hoped so.

We were free today, so she planned a picnic. The three of us were in the middle of nowhere—a field tucked away from the rest of the world with nothing but wildflowers, the scent of freshly baked cupcakes, and the occasional chirp of a bird to remind us that life existed beyond this moment.

I had never been this content. Not in years. Not since before my first marriage fell apart. After that, I was convinced romantic love was something I would ever have.

But here I was, sitting on a blanket next to the woman who had changed my life. I was the luckiest man alive, and I vowed to never forget that or take it for granted. I would show Maggie how much I loved and appreciated her every day for the rest of our lives.

My daughter, laughing and singing in the distance, caught our attention with a silly dance. When she stepped to the side, I realized she was mimicking a butterfly caught in the breeze. Piper’s tiny giggles blended with the sweet hum of the meadow.

“Look at her,” Maggie said. Her voice was soft as she leaned into me, resting her head against my shoulder. “She's so free.”

“She is,” I agreed, watching Piper twirl in circles, her dress billowing around her like a miniature flower blooming. She was happiness personified, all innocent energy and pure joy. I noticed she was like this more often ever since Maggie joined our little family. Happy, cheery. She was even sleeping better. Far fewer night terrors, down to one a week.

Piper’s doctor asked if anything had changed at home, and we explained our situation. After emphasizing that it wasn’t my fault, she added that sometimes kids can sense trouble with their parents, and that can cause night terrors. She reemphasized it wasn’t my fault and I assured her I understood, but part of me felt guilty anyway. The toils of fatherhood, I supposed.

“Dancing, carefree…” I felt Maggie smile against my arm. “She's like you.”

I raised an eyebrow, amused. “Like me? I don't know about that.”

“No, really. She's playful, always full of wonder. You give her that, Julian.”

I had always hoped that she would have those qualities. Whimsy. A wild imagination. I was always reading silly books and watching mindless movies with her. I had wanted to instill that sense of joy in her. I wasn't sure if I had done my job, but it was nice to hear that from Maggie. Still, it was hard to take all of the credit. Piper was definitely her own person.

I chuckled, shaking my head. “I think you give me too much recognition. She’s her own little whirlwind.”

Maggie gave me a knowing smile, one that told me that she saw far more than I ever gave myself credit for. She always did. She had a way of seeing the best in me, in Piper. In everything. It was one of the many reasons I loved her.

I reached out and took her hand, brushing my thumb across her knuckles. “It's you, you know. You make us better, Maggie.”

She laughed shyly, but there was something in the way that she did it, like she wasn't used to compliments yet, even though I gave them freely. One day she’d get used to them. I would make sure of that.

She teased, “You're just saying that because I brought cupcakes.”

“Well, that certainly helps.” I watched as she unwrapped one and handed it to me. The icing was a swirl of pastel colors, soft pinks and purples that reminded me of the wildflowers blooming around us.

“My trainer already loves you. You don’t have to keep feeding me.”

She rolled her eyes and passed me the treat. “Just eat it.”

“You're spoiling me, you know.”

“It's only fair,” she replied, handing another cupcake to Piper, who had come running by. Her cheeks were flushed, and her hair was wild from the butterfly chase. Maggie continued, “You've done plenty of spoiling yourself, sir.”

Piper plopped down on the blanket beside us, her face lighting up as she took a bite of her cupcake, crumbs falling onto her lap. She said the same thing that she said every time Maggie made something for her. “These are the best. Better than last time.”

Maggie smiled, brushing a stray curl behind Pip’s ear. “I'm glad you like them, sweetheart.”

As I watched the two of them interact, something inside of me swelled, something warm and solid and so full of love that it almost scared me.

Maggie had come into our lives like a quiet storm, turning everything upside down in the best possible way. She wasn't just someone I loved; she was someone who had become a part of us, a part of our family. The missing piece to the puzzle.

I couldn't imagine life without her, without everything she brought into our lives, the way she loved Pip like she was her own. Maggie was more than I ever expected or deserved. As I looked at her, sitting there with Piper, her face lit up by the afternoon sun, I knew without a doubt I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.

I had proposed on the surest whim I had ever felt, and every day, she proved me right.

“Maggie. I said quietly, my voice barely a whisper.

She gave me a questioning look. “Hmm?”

“I love you.”

She blinked, surprised at the suddenness of my words, and then smiled, her cheeks flushing just slightly. “I love you too, Julian.”

They were simple, those three little words, but they felt bigger than the sky above us. And yet, saying them was so easy. Because loving Maggie was easy. Being with her was easy.

I knew we’d have more trials and tribulations ahead; we had an actual trial coming up. Chloe Foster had been arrested, and since she gave the arresting officer hell, Apollo added assaulting a police officer and blackmail charges, which made it impossible for her to post bail with the money she’d blackmailed out of me. As much as I didn’t want to deal with the pandemonium of a trial, it would be good to have Chloe Foster’s evil shadow out of sight for a while when all was said and done.

Life was never going to be perfect. I wasn’t na?ve enough to think that. Marriage, no matter how privileged you were, was still work. But there was nothing I couldn’t face with Maggie at my side. We could do anything as long as we were together.

“Can we do this every day?” Piper asked, knocking me out of my reverie, her face smeared with icing as she reached for another cupcake. “The picnic, I mean. And the cupcakes. Lots of cupcakes.”

I laughed, reaching out to wipe a smudge of frosting from her nose. “Maybe not every day, Pip. We'll run out of cupcakes.”

“No, we won't,” she insisted. Her eyes were wide with determination. Maggie makes the best cupcakes, and we’ll never run out.”

Maggie chuckled beside me. “I do need to practice for my cookbook.”

I glanced at her, my heart swelling again at the way she sweetly looked at Pip. The way she stepped up into a mother figure role without hesitation or question. It surprised me every day. I wrapped my arm around Maggie’s shoulders. “I think we can manage a few more picnics. But next time, the cupcakes will be for the two of you only, or Dixon will make me do burpees until I puke, again.”

Piper, satisfied with my answer, turned her attention back to her cupcake, happily munching away, oblivious to the universe shifting around us.

The three of us sat there, enjoying the cool breeze as it swept in over the Pacific. The late afternoon sun cast a warm glow over the meadow, natural beauty taking over my senses. It was one of those rare moments where time seemed to stand still, and nothing mattered except the people you were with and the love you felt for them.

“I can't believe how happy I am,” Maggie murmured after a while. Her voice was quiet as she leaned against me, her head resting on my chest. “It feels like a dream.”

“It's real,” I promised, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “And it's only going to get better.”

She tilted her head up to look at me, her eyes searching mine for a moment before she took a breath and let it out slowly. Her lips curved into that beautiful, easy smile that always made my heart skip a beat. “You really think so?”

“I know so,” I said, feeling the weight of the words settle into my chest. It felt like a foundational truth, something undeniable. “We're just getting started, Maggie. There's so much more ahead for us.”

Her eyes went bright with happiness, and she leaned up to kiss me, an unspoken promise behind it. I kissed her back, savoring the moment, the lingering frosting on her lips, the way her lips fit so perfectly against mine.

“Eww, gross,” Piper exclaimed, covering her eyes with her hands as she giggled. “No kissing! Boys have cooties!”

Maggie pulled away, laughing as she looked over at Pip. “Sorry, sweetheart, no more kissing.”

“Thank you,” my daughter said deliberately in two hard syllables as though she had pronounced a new decree. She giggled as she grabbed another cupcake and took a big bite, clearly more interested in the dessert than our little display of affection.

I couldn't help but laugh, too, shaking my head as I looked at Maggie. “Guess we'll have to save that for later.”

She winked at me, her smile mischievous. “I'll hold you to that.”

We stayed in the meadow for a while longer, watching as Piper chased butterflies, listening to the soft rustle of the wind through the grass. The day was perfect, a snapshot of happiness that I knew I'd hold onto for the rest of my life.

As I sat there with Maggie by my side and Piper’s laughter filling the air, I realized that this quiet, simple, beautiful life was all I had ever wanted.

And it was only the beginning.

THE END